Mop for cleaning or waxing



March 26, 1968 R. A. BAILEY 3,374,498

MOP FOR CLEANING OR WAXING Filed March 15, 1967 HTTO/QNEY United StatesPatent Qfilice 3,374,498 Patented Mar. 26, 1968 3,374,498 MOP FORCLEANING R WAXENG Roy A. Bailey, PO. Box B, Northvale, NJ. 97647 FiledMar. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 623,318 2 Claims. (Cl. 119) ABSTRACT OF THEDZSQLGSURE A sponge mop of elongated shape having an axial bore and endfaces with an abutment plate fixedly secured to each end face of thesponge mop and a central opening in each abutment plate coaxial with theaxial bore. The sponge mop is mounted on a rod support that extendsthrough the registering openings and axial bore of the abutment platesand sponge mop, respectively. The rod has an integral shank attached toa handle member there being on the shank, a manually operated pusherknob and a flexible pusher sleeve engaging the pusher knob at one endand at its other end the abutment plate at the inner end of the spongepad. A retainer element on the outer free terminal end of the rod servesto lock the parts in assembled relation on the rod and shank as well asto receive the thrust when the pusher knob and flexible sleeve arepushed up along the shank and rod to axially compress the sponge mop.

The present invention relates to a mop that may b utilized for cleaningor waxing.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a replaceable spongemop mounted on a rod which extends axially through the sponge mop withthe outer end surface of the spon e mop held in fixed relation to theouter terminal end of the rod and with the inner end surface of thesponge mop engageable by a manual force applying means to axiallycompress the sponge mop on the rod whereby to squeeze the sponge mopdry.

Another object of this invention relates to providing the rod with anintegral inclined shank securely attached to an end of a handle member.

A further object of this invention relates to providing a movable fingerheld pusher slidable on the shank and a flexible helically coiled membersurrounding the shank and of a length such that one end abuts the pusherwith the other end engaging an abutment element fixed to the inner endsurface of the sponge mop, the length of the coiled member being suchthat when the sponge mop is in its normal uncompressed state the coiledmember will position the pusher against the end of the handle to whichthe shank is affixed.

Still another object of this invention is to provide the outer endsurface of the sponge mop with an abutment element secured thereto withboth the inner and outer abutment elements having openings thereinthrough which the rod passes and with the outer terminal end of the rodhaving a removable retainer element thereon preventing the outerabutment member from becoming disengaged from the rod.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the descriptionproceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention maybe embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings,attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings areillustrative only, and that change may be made in the specificconstruction illustrated and described Within the scope of the appendedclaims.

FEGURE 1 is a perspective view of the sponge and associated supportingand compressing parts.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the mop sponge mop taken online 22, FIGURE 1 and showing the sponge mop compressed.

FIGURE 3 is an exploded detail view of supporting and retaining parts ofthe invention.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the sponge mop.

Referring more specifically to the drawings a handle 10 has rigidlysecured Within the end portion 12 thereof the lower end 14 (shown indotted lines, FIGURE 1) of a shank 16. The handle 10 may be of anydesired length and preferably is formed similar to a broom handle. It isseen that the shank 16, see FIGURE 2, is bent to provide an intermediateportion 18 that is inclined to the axis of the handle It). The outer orupper end of the shank l6 opposite the lower or inner end 14 beingcurved as at 29 and extending to form a support rod 22 having itslongitudinal axis disposed substantially normal to the axis of thehandle 10. Preferably the full extent of the support rod 22 is square incross-section, though it may be of any other non-circular cross-section,this for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

Positioned on the support rod 22 is a pad 24 of sponge material ofrubber or plastic of the type well known. The pad 24 will hereinafter bereferred to as a sponge mop. The sponge mop 24, see FIGURE 4, is seen tobe of elongated rectangular shape having parallel opposed sides andparallel inner and outer end surfaces, 25 and 26, respectively.Extending longitudinally through the sponge mop 24 is an axial bore 28.An'outer abutment plate 30 having a central square opening 31 and struckout prongs 32 is placed on the outer end 26 of the sponge pad 24 withthe prongs 32 penetrating into the body thereof so as to hold theabutment plate 30 fixedly on the outer end surface 2:), and 'with theopening 31 in registry with the axial bore 28. A like inner abutmentplate 34 similar in all respects to the outer abutment plate 30 isfixedly secured to the inner end surface 25 of the sponge pad 24. Theinner abutment plate 34 has a central square opening 31a and struck-outprongs 32a. The opening 31a, axial bore 28 and opening 31 are all inaxial registry and are so dimensioned as to receive therethrough thesupport rod 22 for relative movement thereon. At its outer terminal end,the rod 22 is provided with an opening 36 for the reception of a cotterpin 38, see FIGURE 3. The sponge pad 24 is prevented from turning on therod by virtue of its square cross-section and the square openings 31 31ain the abutment plates 30, 34.

Slidably mounted on the shank 16 is a pusher member 49 in the form of aknob. It is seen in FIGURE 2 that the knob 49 has an axial bore 41through which the shank 16 extends. Surrounding the shank 16 is ahelical coiled wire member 44 With the convolutions thereof incontacting engagement providing a flexible pusher sleeve. The helicalmember or pusher sleeve 44 is of such a length that with the sponge mop24 in its fully uncompressed normal state the inner end of the pushersleeve will engage the knob 40 to hold the same against the end of thehandle 19, as seen in FIGURE 1, While the outer end of the pusher sleevewill engage the inner abutment plate 34. Preferably the length of thesponge pad 24 is such that its inner end portion will extend over thecurved portion 20 of the shank 16. The outer abutment plate 38 is heldin place by the cotter pin 38 which serves to hold the parts inassembled relation on the rod and shank as well as to provide a thrustreceiving member to limit outward movement of the outer abutment plate36.

The sponge mop 24 in use may soak up Water or cleaning solution and isthen applied to the surface to be cleaned. To expel the dirty water orsolution, the knob 46 is pushed by the fingers up along the shank '16 topush the flexible helical member or pusher sleeve 44 against 3 the innerabutment plate 34 so as to axially compress or squeeze the sponge mop24, see FIGURE 2, whereby to expel the water or solution therefrom. Theparts will return to their normal position on release of the knob 40 bythe axial expansion of the sponge mop 24 which as is well known has aresilient spring-like characteristic.

For waxing purposes the sponge mop is first dipped in water which isthen partially squeezed out and the sponge mop in squeezed position isthen dipped into a solution of liquid wax, the sponge mop being thenreleased to suck in the liquid wax thus making the sponge mop ready forwaxing. any desired surface.

The sponge mop 24 is easily replaced whenever desired by simply removingthe cotter pin 38, sliding off the'mop and placing on the rod 22 a newand/or clean mop 24, and lastly replacing the cotter pin 38.

While certain novel features of my invention have been shown anddescribed and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will beunderstood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in theforms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can bemade by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A cleaning and waxing mop comprising:

(a) a handle,

(b). a support rod non-circular in cross-section including an integralangularly related shank,

(c) said shank at its free end secured to an end portion of said handle,

(d) said shank being inclined to the axis of said handle and positioningsaid support rod substantially normal to said handle axis,

(e) an elongated sponge mop having a longitudinal bore therethrough,

(-f) said support rod extending through said sponge mop bore,

(g) a first abutment plate and retainer means at the free terminal endof said support rod, said plate engaging the outer end surface of saidsponge mop,

(h) manually operable pusher means movably carried by said shank,

(i) a second abutment plate slidable on said support rod between saidpusher means and the inner end surface of said sponge mop,

(j) each said abutment plate having a central opening corresponding inshape to the cross-section of the non-circular support rod and ings thesupport rod extends, (-k) prongs on each abutment plate extending intosaid sponge mop for fixedly securing said abutment plate membersthereto, (1) said retainer means being a cotter pin positioned inthrough which openan opening adjacent the free terminal end of saidsupport rod and engages the first abutment plate whereby to hold thesaid mop components in assembled relation and on removal thereofpermitting replacement of one or all of said mop components, said pushermeans comprising:

(111) a pusher knob slidably mounted on said shank,

and

(n) a flexible thrust transmitting pusher sleeve surrounding said shankhaving one end engaged by said pusher knob and its other end engagingthe second abutment plate whereby with said sponge mop containing asupply of a liquid soaked up therein said liquid supply is expelled bymanual operation of said pusher means to longitudinally compress thesponge mop. i

2. The mop of claim 1, wherein said pusher sleeve comprises:

(a) a helical wound member of wire having its convolutions in contactingengagement with each other, and

(b) said helical wound member being of a length such that in the normalexpanded condition of the sponge mop the end of the helical wound memberengaging the pusher knob will position the same adjacent the end of thehandle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,502,148 7/ 1924 Magaton.2,810,924 10/1957 Slinglutf 15-23011 X 2,873,462 2/ 1959 Green 15-1 19.12,904,813 9/ 1959 Schlflicher 15-23011 3,001,220 9/1961 Canning et al.15-23011 X 3,171,152 3/1965 Corcoran 15-1191 FOREIGN PATENTS 990,5306/1951 France. 1,107,233 8/ 1955 France.

704,348 2/ 1954 Great Britain.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner.

